CHAPTER TWO
Raphael walked into the kitchen to find Renee slumped on the kitchen floor, looking dazed. He rushed over to help her stand up.
" Renee? Are you okay?" he asked and replaced the receiver that had fallen from her grasp.
" The doctor called," Renee paused, " Raph, I have a brain tumour."
The colour drained from Raphael's face, " can it be cured?"
Renee sighed, " No, it's too advanced to do anything about it." She carefully sat down at the table and Raphael got her a drink of water. She still looked white as a ghost and he has never been so worried about her.
" But I thought the doctor said we might have caught it early,"
" Well, he thought wrong," Renee, said, " We have to tell Megan. Where is she?"
" Where do you think? At Don's," Raphael reminded her, " that girl spends too much time over there and that's going to stop."
" Call her and we'll talk to her," Renee said. Raphael grabbed the phone and dialled the number of Don's lab.
Don's secretary answered and got a hold of Megan. She sounded irritated about having being interrupted.
" You have to come home, now." Raph ordered her.
" We're right in the middle of something!" Megan snapped at him.
" It's important. Your mother needs you."
Megan paused, " Is she okay?"
" Not really, get over here." Raph said before hanging up.
Megan turned to Don, " Something's going on at home, I have to go."
" All right then, will you be here tomorrow?"
Megan nodded and left the building. She climbed onto her bike and pedalled home.
Megan let herself in the front door and found her parents waiting for her in the living room. The TV was on, the volume turned down low. Her father was staring dully at the TV screen and her mother was deep in thought.
" What's so important that I had to leave Uncle Don's lab so early?" she demanded her parents.
Raph frowned at her, " It's very important Megs, it's about your mother," he hesitated, " Do you want to tell her darling?"
Renee didn't answer, she looked spaced out.
" Renee?" Raph nudged her gently and Renee glanced over at him, trying to focus.
" Oh, I'm sorry…I was distracted."
" That's an understatement," Megan piped up as she sat down on the recliner chair next to the couch, " What's going on Mom?"
" Megan, I'm sick," Mom answered," I found out today that I have a brain tumour."
Megan stared at her mother, her blood went cold. " A-a brain tumour?" she whispered, " it can be cured right?"
" No honey, it's in the advanced stage…we got it too late. Even if the doctor did try to operate on it, I may wound up brain damaged."
" You'll be a vegetable if they did operate?"
" Megan!" her father snapped at her but she ignored him and focused her attention on her mother.
" I don't want that to happen. I don't want to live my life as a 'vegetable'. I will take medication for the pain but that's all."
Megan's blue eyes brimmed with tears, " You're gonna die?"
" I'm afraid so darling."
Megan stood up and knelt down next to her, " How long do you have? A year?"
Renee paused, " Two months."
Megan's mouth dropped open in horror, " Two months?" she shouted, " You're going to let yourself die in just two months? What about me Mom? I won't have a mother to see me grow up, or graduate from high school…"
" I'm not letting myself die mega, I have no choice."
Megan stood up, feeling more angry than upset, " You do have a choice Mom! You can be operated on. You might end up as a vegetable but at least you'll still be around!"
" Megan, don't be angry sweetie, everyone has to die sometime," her mother implored.
Megan just glared at her parents, " If you really loved me, you'll have the operation." Then she stood up and fled upstairs to her room. Both parents flinched as the door slammed shut.
Raphael walked into the kitchen to find Renee slumped on the kitchen floor, looking dazed. He rushed over to help her stand up.
" Renee? Are you okay?" he asked and replaced the receiver that had fallen from her grasp.
" The doctor called," Renee paused, " Raph, I have a brain tumour."
The colour drained from Raphael's face, " can it be cured?"
Renee sighed, " No, it's too advanced to do anything about it." She carefully sat down at the table and Raphael got her a drink of water. She still looked white as a ghost and he has never been so worried about her.
" But I thought the doctor said we might have caught it early,"
" Well, he thought wrong," Renee, said, " We have to tell Megan. Where is she?"
" Where do you think? At Don's," Raphael reminded her, " that girl spends too much time over there and that's going to stop."
" Call her and we'll talk to her," Renee said. Raphael grabbed the phone and dialled the number of Don's lab.
Don's secretary answered and got a hold of Megan. She sounded irritated about having being interrupted.
" You have to come home, now." Raph ordered her.
" We're right in the middle of something!" Megan snapped at him.
" It's important. Your mother needs you."
Megan paused, " Is she okay?"
" Not really, get over here." Raph said before hanging up.
Megan turned to Don, " Something's going on at home, I have to go."
" All right then, will you be here tomorrow?"
Megan nodded and left the building. She climbed onto her bike and pedalled home.
Megan let herself in the front door and found her parents waiting for her in the living room. The TV was on, the volume turned down low. Her father was staring dully at the TV screen and her mother was deep in thought.
" What's so important that I had to leave Uncle Don's lab so early?" she demanded her parents.
Raph frowned at her, " It's very important Megs, it's about your mother," he hesitated, " Do you want to tell her darling?"
Renee didn't answer, she looked spaced out.
" Renee?" Raph nudged her gently and Renee glanced over at him, trying to focus.
" Oh, I'm sorry…I was distracted."
" That's an understatement," Megan piped up as she sat down on the recliner chair next to the couch, " What's going on Mom?"
" Megan, I'm sick," Mom answered," I found out today that I have a brain tumour."
Megan stared at her mother, her blood went cold. " A-a brain tumour?" she whispered, " it can be cured right?"
" No honey, it's in the advanced stage…we got it too late. Even if the doctor did try to operate on it, I may wound up brain damaged."
" You'll be a vegetable if they did operate?"
" Megan!" her father snapped at her but she ignored him and focused her attention on her mother.
" I don't want that to happen. I don't want to live my life as a 'vegetable'. I will take medication for the pain but that's all."
Megan's blue eyes brimmed with tears, " You're gonna die?"
" I'm afraid so darling."
Megan stood up and knelt down next to her, " How long do you have? A year?"
Renee paused, " Two months."
Megan's mouth dropped open in horror, " Two months?" she shouted, " You're going to let yourself die in just two months? What about me Mom? I won't have a mother to see me grow up, or graduate from high school…"
" I'm not letting myself die mega, I have no choice."
Megan stood up, feeling more angry than upset, " You do have a choice Mom! You can be operated on. You might end up as a vegetable but at least you'll still be around!"
" Megan, don't be angry sweetie, everyone has to die sometime," her mother implored.
Megan just glared at her parents, " If you really loved me, you'll have the operation." Then she stood up and fled upstairs to her room. Both parents flinched as the door slammed shut.